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Diagnostic performance of the Third Molar Maturity Index (I3M) for forensic age estimation at the 18-year threshold in a Surabaya population, Indonesia
Maria Istiqomah Marini
; Division of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga
Mirza Khairina
; Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Maria Sekar Aurelia
; Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Mieke Sylvia Margaretha
; Magister of Forensic Sciences, Postgraduate School, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Arofi Kurniawan
orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-9876
; Division of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Postgraduate School, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Beta Novia Rizky
; Division of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Aspalilah Alias
; Division of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
An’nisaa Chusida
; Division of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
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* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Third molar development is widely used in forensic age estimation because it continues to mature after most permanent teeth have erupted, extending into late adolescence and early adulthood. Cameriere’s Third Molar Maturity Index (I3M) has been proposed as a reliable method for determining whether an individual has reached the legal age threshold of 18 years. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the I3M method for estimating legal age using panoramic radiographs in a population from Surabaya, Indonesia. A total of 100 digital panoramic radiographs of individuals aged 16–23 years were retrospectively analyzed. I3M values were calculated based on measurements of the apical openings of the lower left mandibular third molar using ImageJ software. The diagnostic performance of the established cut-off value of 0.08 was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). The relationship between chronological age and I3M values was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The I3M method demonstrated an overall accuracy of 91%, with sensitivity of 90.1% and specificity of 100% in distinguishing individuals aged ≥18 years from minors. The positive predictive value was 100%, whereas the negative predictive value was 50%. A strong negative correlation was observed between chronological age and I3M values (ρ = −0.871, P < 0.001). These findings suggest that the I3M method shows promising diagnostic performance for estimating whether an individual has reached the legal age of 18 years in the studied population. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of individuals under 18 years. Further studies involving larger and more balanced samples are required to confirm the applicability of the method in Indonesian populations.
Ključne riječi
third molar; I3M; forensic age estimation; legal identity; Indonesian population
Hrčak ID:
348827
URI
Datum izdavanja:
3.7.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *